Engagement ring question

[forward]

I know there are a number of people here that have a lot of knowledge about jewelry and I know next to nothing.

I have found 3 very similar looking engagement rings online that vary considerably in price.  The descriptions appear similar regarding quality.

Basically I am looking at a 14k rose gold, halo setting with a 6x8mm oval moissanite center stone.

The prices are $1100, $1800 and $2700. 

I want a good quality ring but why is there such a difference in price, what am I missing or what do I need to know?  Should I expect a difference in durability?

[seattlecyclone]

I think the prices for jewelry are basically made up. Even $1,100 seems rather steep if you're not using a real diamond. I presume you've talked to your significant other about this? What does she think?

[forward]

I think you may be right regarding jewelry prices being made up.  My significant other doesn't care how much is spent and leans toward the less expensive route. 

My general tendency when purchasing anything is to place value on quality but I don't have any idea how to assess quality under this circumstance.

[Raenia]

We noticed this when shopping for wedding bands.  The same basic band (4mm wide gold men's band) cost anywhere fro $350-$800 depending on the seller.  It's complete nonsense.

With stones, though, I've had mixed luck buying online.  Even if the size and clarity are what you want, you can't really tell if the cut is good until you have it in your hand.  There may or may not be any difference at all between the different rings you're looking at, and quality may or may not be correlated with price.  Check out reviews to make sure the company is well regarded, and see if they have a return policy if you wind up not happy with it.

We decided to go with a local independent jeweler, so we could actually look at the pieces and ask questions, and they were still on the low end of the price range.  Plus they included an inscription for no extra charge, and threw in resizing my ring for free.

[forward]

Thats helpful Raenia, thank you.  I hadn't thought of it but I should be able to get a local jeweler to come close to matching prices or add some things on if they want my business.

[shelbyautumn]

Don't be afraid to look for the stone and setting separately. When my husband and I were engagement ring shopping, I found a setting in an engagement ring store that I LOVED...but it was $1500. There was no way we were spending that for just the setting, so I scoured the internet and ended up finding it on eBay for $400. Then he bought the Moissanite separately. To have a jeweler put it together and size the ring significantly (I think it went from a 7 to a 4) came out to another $400ish. I think everything together was about $1200 - less than just the setting was going to cost!

It looks like the 6x8 oval would be $385 for the stone, and you can find settings on etsy in the $300 range (this isn't halo - but it is beautiful: https://www.etsy.com/listing/545435390/14k-solid-gold-ring-sets-15ct-oval?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rose%20gold%201.5%20ct%20oval%20setting&ref=sr_gallery-1-4) You can also search eBay like I did (I think this one is pretty, too: https://www.ebay.com/itm/6x8mm-Oval-Cut-14K-Solid-Rose-Gold-Natural-Diamond-Semi-Mount-Ring-Setting/192429430404?hash=item2ccdb01684:g:p~MAAOSwHwJaXv3p)

Just a side note - the Moissanite is a GREAT decision. I've had my ring for almost 5 years and when I brag about it not being a diamond people don't believe me. I get complements on my ring all the time - I attached a picture so you can see how it's held up.

Good luck choosing! I'd love to see what you go with after you propose!

[forward]

Thank you Shelby, thats helpful, I'm going to look in to that approach.  You have a beautiful ring, it has a lot of similarities to what I'm looking for. 

[Broadway2019]

Just for reference my fiancé and I both have Platinum rings with moisannite. We paid about $5k each including taxes. The moisaanite itself cost about $1k and then depending on the setting it goes up from there. I went with an expensive setting because I have to look at it daily and fell in the ring. The setting is thicker platinum and we had it custom made through a local jeweler which makes up the bulk of the cost. The same ring with a diamond was $12k

Depends on what you want really. I definitely would make sure she likes it since it will be worn everyday. I realize my costs were un-mustachian but not everything needs to be a bargain or frugal.

[tralfamadorian]

Be careful with cheap halos. If the stones are set by someone who doesn't GIF, you might have issues with stones popping out. If the gold work is substandard, it will warp. Don't be afraid to call the vendors you are considering and asking- Do they cast the rings themselves? If not, where? Do they set the main stone? If not, where? Do they set the halo? If not, where? The answer to all three of these questions could easily be different. IMO the preferable answers would be in house > locally (using local freelancer jewelers is common) > your home country > China. If they can't or won't answer, then look elsewhere. 

Consider having a ring made by an artisan jeweler who works for themselves- the work is typically better quality and the price should be similar or less than the larger brands where there are many middleman adding on their percentage.

[shelbyautumn]

Did you end up picking out a ring? How did the process go?